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Newbie to Oceania but not cruising


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We have taken over 40 cruises (majority with Celebrity) and would like to try Oceania. We have found a fantastic offer, and would like some help with a few questions. Please note the offer is with a UK TA on the Riviera (I know rules are different in the US and UK for other cruise lines).

 

1) We have been asked to pay a deposit of just over £1K, is this about standard for a 14 day cruise

2) We have been told FPD is 21 weeks before departure (we have usually had 90 days or less)

3) Can you pay grats in advance

4) We have been told that with the rate we have been quoted, this does not include internet access. I thought the whole ship has free internet?

5) If you bring 3 bottles of wine on board on embarkation, how does the ship monitor if you bring on further bottles of wine from ports along the route? Will they then store extra bottles until the end of the cruise (we may do a B2B with them or another cruise line).

6) If we find a better located cabin after we have paid the deposit (or FPD) in the same category, can we ask to swap?

 

Many thanks for your feedback.

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I have never been on Celebrity but you are in for a treat on Oceania! Great cruise line and fabulous food.

 

it is impossible to really answer the questions though because your TA probably has his own rules.. All I can say is that in the past we have paid a deposit of something like 10% of the total fare. Final payment deadline of 4 months sounds right to me - that is about when I was able to make dinner reservations for our last cruise and you cannot make those until final payment is made.

 

Oceania has a programme called "O Life" and you can opt for free internet via that if you want it. Otherwise - unless getting internet free because of previous cruise "status" we have paid a daily fee. But your TA might be selling the cruise more cheaply than Oceania does so some of these perks won't apply I suppose.

 

Wine - they don't control how much you bring on board "within reason" A few bottles are fine. A few cases and they might worry about them. You can drink the wine in any of the restaurants if you pay the corkage charge. I am not sure what this is - we always take the Premium Beverage package so it never concerns us - but I think it is around $25/bottle.

 

for (6) - normally yes. But again your TA might have his own rules.

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1) We have been asked to pay a deposit of just over £1K, is this about standard for a 14 day cruise

For US pax it is $750 pp

For CAD it is $1000 pp so yours sounds comparable

 

2) We have been told FPD is 21 weeks before departure (we have usually had 90 days or less)

It is usually 90 day in N.A. but do check the Oceania UK site in the FAQ

 

3) Can you pay grats in advance

yes or you could shop around and see if any TA's there offer to include them

 

4) We have been told that with the rate we have been quoted, this does not include internet access. I thought the whole ship has free internet?

Yes now there is free internet one account per cabin unless you are in a top suite then 2

 

5) If you bring 3 bottles of wine on board on embarkation, how does the ship monitor if you bring on further bottles of wine from ports along the route? Will they then store extra bottles until the end of the cruise (we may do a B2B with them or another cruise line).

They do not monitor them & you can bring as much as you want if you take it to a dining venue you pay the $25 corkage fee per bottle if you drink it in the cabin no charge

6) If we find a better located cabin after we have paid the deposit (or FPD) in the same category, can we ask to swap?

 

Many thanks for your feedback.

6) yes

 

Hopefully someone from the UK will add more comments that help more for your circumstances

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I’m in England. The deposit amount sounds about right. They were advertising ‘half-price deposits’ last time I booked and I was shocked by how much even half-price was!

 

You probably won’t be able to get gratuities included, but most travel agents will knock a few hundred pounds off the price.

 

Final payment is indeed a very long time before the cruise.

 

As said, you will get free internet. Don’t know if it was a TA who told you that you wouldn’t. British TAs, even cruise specialist ones, don’t book many Oceania Cruises and thus know little about them. Best not to use them for any info, just to get the price reduction.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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We have taken over 40 cruises (majority with Celebrity) and would like to try Oceania. We have found a fantastic offer, and would like some help with a few questions. Please note the offer is with a UK TA on the Riviera (I know rules are different in the US and UK for other cruise lines).

 

1) We have been asked to pay a deposit of just over £1K, is this about standard for a 14 day cruise

2) We have been told FPD is 21 weeks before departure (we have usually had 90 days or less)

3) Can you pay grats in advance

4) We have been told that with the rate we have been quoted, this does not include internet access. I thought the whole ship has free internet?

5) If you bring 3 bottles of wine on board on embarkation, how does the ship monitor if you bring on further bottles of wine from ports along the route? Will they then store extra bottles until the end of the cruise (we may do a B2B with them or another cruise line).

6) If we find a better located cabin after we have paid the deposit (or FPD) in the same category, can we ask to swap?

 

Many thanks for your feedback.

I'll try. Mura is a great feedback person on Oceania. So I'd trust her judgment before mine.

1) We put down $1500 for a 14 day cruise next Jan. So I 'd say it's about right.

2) Again same with us.

3) Not sure. We paid on the daily basis. I'd call Oceania for that or your T/A(if using one)

4) No, you can buy internet packages. On Riviera, we found reception to be terrible(even in ports)So we used it very little.

5) Any extra that you purchase when returning from ports will go through the X ray machine when you reboard. We didn't buy any in any ports, so I can't really answer that one.

6) Yes, by all means. The ship wasn't full on our past Jan. trip & they e-mailed & asked if we wanted an upgrade for $200PP, which we did. Just enjoy & have a great upcoming trip. If your trip is next Jan.12, we'll look forward to seeing you then! Check the roll calls for your voyage.

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A word about deposits is that there is a nice perk if you book onboard. We booked a future cruise onboard and paid $250 US per person for a 10-day cruise. There is also a lowest-price guarantee if you book onboard. It's something to keep in mind when you are on the cruise and feel inclined to book another one. Welcome to Oceania.

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FYI, free internet for everyone was supposedly added fairly recently. In the recent past it was included if you took the olife package.

 

I booked bare cruise which you can do in the US.

 

Depending on when you asked the TA may have given you the correct answer about Internet.

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FYI, free internet for everyone was supposedly added fairly recently. In the recent past it was included if you took the olife package.

 

I booked bare cruise which you can do in the US.

 

Depending on when you asked the TA may have given you the correct answer about Internet.

even if you take cruise only you get the free internet

 

1 account per cabin

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Here is a question I have for those who book with a British TA. I was on a recent X cruise where I heard if British folks cancel a cruise or swap it with another cruise at any time, they lose their deposit. Is this true for all cruise lines booked through a British TA or just Celebrity? If true, I can see why you are concerned. That's a lot of money to lose in case you simply decide for whatever reason not to go on the cruise.

Edited by Ken the cruiser
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I was on a recent X cruise where I found if British folks cancel or swap it with another cruise at any time, they lose their deposit. Is this true for all cruise lines booked through a British TA or just Celebrity?

They cannot get their deposit back unless they claim on insurance unlike in North America

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I just did a comparison of the same cruise we are on same cabin

4468 GBP (7765 CAD) including O Life ..do not think they get air

 

7349 CAD cruise only no OLife

 

They get the same O Life perks including internet

 

Google is your friend ;)

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I just did a comparison of the same cruise we are on same cabin

4468 GBP (7765 CAD) including O Life ..do not think they get air

 

7349 CAD cruise only no OLife

 

They get the same O Life perks including internet

 

Google is your friend ;)

UK prices do actually usually include the ‘free’ airfare. However it can be removed and the price reduced, the same as in America.

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UK prices do actually usually include the ‘free’ airfare. However it can be removed and the price reduced, the same as in America.

it did not say it had air so the cruise I checked is less than a month away so that could be why

 

but they still offered the O Life perks but did not say what the OBC value was

 

So for the OP the prices are not far off N.A. pricing

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I'm pretty sure that in the US final payment date is determined by the length of the cruise.

 

Correct. Per the Oceania Pricing and Payments FAQs, final Payment is due 90 days prior to departure for cruises less than 15 days, 120 days prior to departure for cruises of 15 days or more...except "180 day voyages", where final payment is due 181 days prior to departure.

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We are i the UK, booked our own flights and got £400 pp off the Web Price, flying to the Med. We paid Final Payment 90 days out. We booked directly with Oceania.

 

I know with X if you book you flights they them you have to pay them upfront in full with the deposit, so maybe if you take O flights it’s the same hence the big deposit.

 

I’ve never found much benefit in booking they a UK TA, as I’ve found you can usually get a similar price off the cruise company. Obviously US TA’s operate on a different system.

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We are i the UK, booked our own flights and got £400 pp off the Web Price, flying to the Med. We paid Final Payment 90 days out. We booked directly with Oceania.

.

What is the amount you pay for deposits in the UK ?

 

Just curious

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Wow what a friendly knowledgeable crowd you are on the Oceania board. Just a bit of feedback following a conversation I had with my TA today. The deposit has reduced a bit and is now 20%, FPD is just over 90 days out (not the original 21 weeks!!). Deposit is refundable up to 120 days out, then charges are staggered. Yes we can change our cabin within the grade if a preferred location appears. She still says no internet, but I will take your feedback as more knowledgeable people that we should receive one account free. Not able to pay grats in advance, we have been quoted such a good rate that other agents that include grats still come no where near this price.

 

Unfortunately the agent had left the office when I called back to book, will need to wait until Monday now.

 

With all your comments you have made me so excited to try a new cruise line.

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She still says no internet, but I will take your feedback as more knowledgeable people that we should receive one account free. Not able to pay grats in advance, we have been quoted such a good rate that other agents that include grats still come no where near this price.

 

With all your comments you have made me so excited to try a new cruise line.

Not sure if on the UK site they have the Bon Voyage Gifts link at the bottom of the page

 

Once you have your booking number you can buy yourself an OBC to cover the Gratuities if you want to have them paid for before you go

 

They will just deduct them off any OBC in your shipboard account

 

Or just leave it & they will be charged to your CC at the end of the cruise

 

 

She may want to check Oceania's website under VALUE > Internet :halo:

 

 

Free Unlimited WiFi

 

NEW Wavenet WiFi

 

Wavenet FREE Unlimited WiFi is included in your cruise fare and you may access the Internet throughout the entirety of the ship, including all suites, staterooms, public rooms and outdoor decks. One login is provided per suite or stateroom, which may be used on one device at a time. Additional logins and upgrade packages are available for purchase on board. For your convenience, Internet-enabled computers are also available in the Oceania@Sea Internet Center aboard each of our ships.

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Wow what a friendly knowledgeable crowd you are on the Oceania board. Just a bit of feedback following a conversation I had with my TA today. The deposit has reduced a bit and is now 20%, FPD is just over 90 days out (not the original 21 weeks!!). Deposit is refundable up to 120 days out, then charges are staggered. Yes we can change our cabin within the grade if a preferred location appears. She still says no internet, but I will take your feedback as more knowledgeable people that we should receive one account free. Not able to pay grats in advance, we have been quoted such a good rate that other agents that include grats still come no where near this price.

 

Unfortunately the agent had left the office when I called back to book, will need to wait until Monday now.

 

With all your comments you have made me so excited to try a new cruise line.

Thanks for the update. That is great news that your deposit is refundable up to 120 days out! Maybe it was just a Celebrity thing.

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I see many of OP's questions have been answered but as to the question about bringing on wine -- many newbies are anxious about the rules, probably because of the official rules (such as only 3 bottles).

 

 

 

You really shouldn't be concerned. A fair number of oenophiles DO bring on cases of wine, and as long as don't abuse the privilege -- such as taking your wine which should be consumed in your room or with a corkage fee in a dining room to a public space -- there haven't been problems.

 

 

I have occasionally purchased wine or liquor at a port stop and never had a problem bringing it on board. I personally have usually only brought on 3-4 bottles upon boarding because my husband barely drinks and I limit my wine at dinner consumption.

 

 

I've never seen Wine Police on any Oceania ship ...

 

 

 

Mura

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